Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-26

renamed mere curing Saturday kEAA SUNDAY,
the 4tl1 and 9Th, enHously expecting our
cooks and their accompaniment, and finally
on Sunday they arrived. It is q very easy
thing fer soldier to march in obedience to
orders with f'three days rations in haver-
sack" as we had on Thursday, March Cd, but
haversack look tempting and inviting to the
appetite four days afterwards. We were all
glad to see the company cooks with their
outfits and to know that the commissary was
along. Here the Twenty seventh Massa
chusetts joined rs and our brigade was to-
gether.
The seriousness of this advance, it's i'm
portauce, and it's probable results, very evil
IDENTIFY, were felt by all and with determi,.
nation not to be remiss in anything which
the emergency might demand. 1t was not
an unusual thing to see soldier overhauling
his personal belongings. and after due de-
Liberation throwing aside perhaps couple of
ounces OF something which he thought he
might get along without. The two ounces so
discarded were in some instances Testa-
ment, in others pack of cards; in either
case the one idea of the soldier was chow
best to get there" rather than "by what
road"
On Monday morning, March 9th, the Fiji
teenth marched from Gore creek at a. M.
with four days rGtions. We held the adj
vance and marched easily, with an hours
rest at noon, until p. NJ, when we went
into camp near the railroad on Core creek.
A strong picket detail from the regiment
was made and posted before dark. This was
the Gum swamp region and the possibilities
of guerrillas were at premium.
At about noon on Tuesday, March 18th, the
pickets were called in and at 1 p. m. the
brigade advanced. The enemy had obstruct-
ed the road by telling trees and
in all ways possible for temporary
annoyance. About 4 p. m. we had
somewhat lively skirmish with the enemy,
in which several of our men Were wounded;
but, as result, we arranged our lines little
in advance of the one the enemy had selected
for US, and finally lay on our arms for the
night with our line of sk1rmishers within
three hundred yards of what was ascertalned
to be the line of the enemy's 1ntrenchments
on Southwest creek, four and One-half miles
from Kinston Upham's brigade was now
together, the 9th Massachusetts having re-
ported on Sunday, the 9th. A battery of
light artillery and squadron OF cavalry
were supposed to be acting with the brigade
and portion OF each was present and on
duty on the night of March z
When darkness came on that night the
Fifteenth was not, as regiment. in proper
order for battle. 1t was in proper order for
picket and observation and that was what
was required. Some four hundred western
recruits from Camp Chattanooga, which were
en- route to regiments then with Sherman
and which had been sent to Newberne as
the nearest way of reaching him, were at
this time temporarily incorporated in the
Fifteenth, thirty more of them being as
signed to each company and two additional
companies being formed and differed by
detail from our regiment. The presence of
these raw men, almost in equal number with
our own, was in some RESPECTS not an advan-
tage. They knew little of drill or discipline,
had of course no special pride in the eff
teenth G. v" and tended to make the regi-
uio11 hon orf
able to contemplate if under fire. On ac-
count of this large access of men Col. Upham
handled the Fifteenth as two separate battal-
ions, Lieut.. Col. Tolles in command of the
right wing and Major Osborne the left.
At sunset on March the right wing was
on duty, deployed as heavy Skirmish line in
front of the enemy's line of works on the
west side of Southwest creek and only about
three hundred yards from the rebel guns, the
line extending along our front on both sides
of the Dover road. The left wing under
Major Osborne was in line about five
skirmish line, and to the left of and at right
angles with the Dover road The 9th Mass.
was formed on the right of the same road,
and the headquarters of Col. Upham were
about one hundred and fifty yards in the
rear of the 9th Mass. Battery D, Sd New
York artillery, Captain Cam, commanded
the road from position about on a line with
the left wing of the 18th and the 9th Mass.
The entire brigade lay on it's arms the night
of March 18th. No fires were permitted, SO
no coffee was possible. tin cup, however,
never comes amiss to soldier, and before
tected by the ''hole and pile of dirt" which
each soldier had made for himself with his
plate or cup for spade during the quiet
hours of darkness when he was good deal
more anxious than sleepy.
The expected artillery firing from the rebel
1ookA ~ 4 y1of at vii ~ nf
course we were quite content to keep quiet if
the Johnnies were. The rebel force well in.
trenched in our immediate front, and at very
close quarters, was not less than 2, 500 men.
Our brigade numbered less than half that
many. Our nearest support was Carriers
division, in the vininity of Wise Forks, near
ly two miles in our rear. It will thus be seen
that our entire brigade was really con picket"
in the very teeth of largely superior force,
and with no provision whatever made for
supporting force in case of an emergency.
Crossing the Jacksons Mills road little in
the rear OF our brigade and leading to our
left was the British road, and on this, as
videttes guarding our left, was posted de-
tachment of the 18th New York cavalry.
The morning passing quietly, the men not
on the skirmish line had time for their
coffee, and about z O'Clock the 9th Mass
rear of our LETT wing, and formed across that |
road about half mile to our left, and a little |
to the rear.
About nine o'clock the rebels opened with |
all their guns, and they made it as lively for |
us as they could without coming |
out of their works and charging us. |
Our guns replied spiritedly, and our picket |
get his head above the breastworks |
without a crack at it. As before l
stated, our pickets had somewhat protected |
themselves by burrowing," and the CASUAL |
ties on our side in this very hot work were /
far from being SO numerous as seemed newt |
able. Captain Bassett of Company A, always
brave as the bravest, was brave to rashness
here, repeatedly exposing himself by passing
along the line almost within pistol shot of
The enemy, and was finally MORALLY wounded
BY rebel musket ball at short range and
lied on the field. This fighting continued
without cessation, and at little past II
o'clock Colonel Upham received intimation
hat he might expect an attack upon his left.
he had previously posted the Twenty seventh
on the left OF the brigade and
acing left, and he now dispatched Adjutant
Rand to Major Osborne to at once change
ront to left with his battalion. This was |
Immediately done, and almost simultaneously |
With its commencement a murderous volley |
,urst upon us through the thick underbrush
rom what had Just been our left and rear |
lust then, and before the movement had
more than begun, Major Osborne fell with a
errible wound. Men were dropping on every
ide, and as by far the heaviest fire was
coming from what was but few moments
before our rear, it was evident that the enc
ny had got between us and the main column
md that we were isolated. Firing in our
ormer front had now entirely ceased, and
We didn't mind the deprivation in the least.
We had enough to keep US busy without it.
The four companies of the left wing behaved
loblY, western recruits and all, but the last
hange of front was only half change enough.
We were still getting our hottest fire from
eft flank and rear, and we must either meet ,
or surrender, or die in our tracks. Captain ]
White didn't like to try any more battalion
rill according to tactics under those circum- {
tances. He had the colors taken to the re- !
mains of rail fence just in the edge of the i
FOODS in front of what had been our position j
aced the other way a half hour before. | |.
nd gave the order to rally behind ,
o fence" The ives tern recruits /
Tere the first to get there, and all were there {
4 less than tone time and three motions =
here was a lull for a moment: we were now t
aced squarely to our former rear. Colonel i
and many of the Twenty-sey 8
nth Massachusetts, now joined us, coming in | G
rom what was now our right and rear. bnt